Arrangement for inclosing vacuum conduit systems.



G. W. NICHOLS.

ARRANGEMENT FOR INOLOSING VACUUM oonmm' SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1909.

Patented May 14, 1912.

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ARRANGEMENT FOR INCLOSING VACUUM CONDUIT SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OF RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed July 20, 1909. Serial No. 508,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. Niorrons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rahway, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arrangements for Inclosing Vacuum Conduit Systems, of

i which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to arrangements for inclosing conduit systems for vacuum cleaners and more particularly to a system adapted for use in piping a house with concealed pipes.

The main object of the invention is to provide means whereby a line of pipe mav be run about a room without being exposed. the covering means therefor having the two fold object of forming a housing inclosing the said pipes and at the same time preventing the accumulation of dust and dirt there about, thus insuring good sanitary conditions within the room and about the pipe.

A further object is to provide means whereby pipes may be, laid about a room without bein set into the walls and without being themse ves exposed, or being rotected,

by a covering which will be consplcuous or objectionable.

A still further object is to provide means whereby an old house may have pipes laid throughout without the necessity for tearing out the walls about a room and without exposing the pipes to view within a room.

A still further object is to provide means whereby pipes may be laid about a room while being covered in a manner to permit the exposure of couplings for the purpose of attaching a cleaning apparatus thereto.

A still further object 18 to provide a conduit system for vacuum cleaners which may be readily installed in a house, the original plans for which did not provide for the necessary piping, and wherein the suction device alone or the suction device and separator may be located in the cellar or at a point removed from the living portion of the house.

The invention consists rimarily in the novel features of constructlon and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings :Figure 1 is a conventional showing of a portion of a house piped by means of my improved system; fig. 2 is a detailed view of a small portion of a room showing the end of one sheathing for the conduit in position; Fig. 3 is a view of a corner of a room showing the corner attachment of my conduit system, the outer surface of said sheathing differing from that shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end section of a straight line of sheathing adapted to be used with the corner fitting shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the corner section of sheathing shown in Fig. 3, the view being taken from the back thereof, and, Fig. 6 1s a detailed sectional view of a coupling projecting through said sheathing as shown in Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown at A, B and C, conventionally, three floors of a house, for the purpose of illustratin the application of my conduit systern t ereto. On the two up er floors B and C, a portion of the sheathing is broken away to disclose a portion of the pipes in full lines, in order to more fully disclose the relation of parts. The level A would, ordinarily, indicate cellar flooring, in most cases it being desirable to have the dust and dirt conveyed direct to the cellar where it will be deposited in the separator and may be removed at leisure.

On the level A, I have shown an ordinary rotary suction pump a coupled to a separator b which is in communication throughthe pipe line 0 with each room fitted with vacuum cleaner connections. The piping in the room is run close to the surbase d a vertical line of piping being run through a hole bored in the floor, or run from floor to floor between the walls. as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1. This manner of laying the suction pipes would prove unsightly and in order to remove this unsightliness, as well as to protect the pipes and prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt thereabout, I provide a sheathing adapted to fit closely tothe floor and to the surbase, leaving a suitable opening thereunder for the said vacuum pipes." This sheath-, ing forms a conduit for the accommodation of a pipe line, which pipe line may either be an air or an electric conduit. for the purpose of locating couplings within the room to which couplings the cleaning apparatus may be connected. The conduit is formed by the space between the sheathing, and within the angle between the floor planking T3 or C and the surbase d which ma take any desired form and will be contr edb the contour of the inner face of the sheat in The sheat ing consists of a plurality of short independent lengths of sheathing e, the top and bottom edges of which are eveled off as at f 9 so as to lie upon planes at substantially right angles to each other, and thus conform to and insure a perfect fit between the edges thereof and the floor B or C and the surbase (1 respectively. To insure permanency in the positioning of the sheathing forming the conduit, I supplement this construction by means securing the respective pieces of sheathing making up the conduit in its entirety in position relative tothe surbase and to the floor adjacent thereto. The application of this means differs in a straight run of sheathing, and in the, angle pieces forming the corners or turnings, but in each instance preferably consists of a dowel h adapted to. have a driving lit in a dowel hole bored in the sum base or floor, thus insuring a good fit of the sheathing relative to the surbase and at the same time permititto be readily removed for pur oses-of inspection or repairs. On the straight-run of sheathing, the dowel or dowels will extend at d-slight downward angle relative to -'the edge f of the sheathing, the cooperating bore in the surbase extending at the same angle and thus causing a vslight wedging action, in the downward movement of the sheathing as it is applied,

which will have the effect of drawing it against the surbase as well as form an intl'w locking means bet-ween the sheathing and the trim which would prevent the accidental displacement of the sheathin It will be observed that byt econstruction heretofore described, the conduit for the vacuum cleaner pipes 'may be quickly formed within the room after the pipe lines have been properly laid, and that the labor required would not be of a high order, or

require special skill. The sheathing 0 will preferably be of wood, and ma thus be made to conform with the trim o the room and thus'not be conspicuous or objectionable my appearance. The outer surface of the sheathing-e may be curved as shown in F ig,

' 2, or flat as shown in Figs.'3 to 5 inclusive,

or may take any other desired design or cross section.

The sheathing e being provided in regu' lar lengths the fitting of the abutting ends of adjoining sections will be accomplished solely through the location of the dowel holes in. the surbase, thus avoidin the necessity for an joining of ends, w ich, ordinarily, wou (1 require accurate work the invention. t Having described the invention, what I cla m as new, and desire to have protected and the attehtion of a skilled joiner. In forming corners or angles, however, it will be necessary to miter and join the ends of straight sections, to avoid which, I provide corner fittings j consisting of two sections kl of the same configuration as the sheathculty, I provide a dowel pinm, extending downwardly from a point adjacent to the angle of the sections is Z, adapted to co6perate with a dowel hole 12 in the floor B or C, the said dowel in and dowel hole being pitched rearwardly and toward the surbase so as to secure a wedging action toward said surbase. Y

Some of the sheathing strips 6 are provided with openings 0 therethrough for the coupling nipple p of the conduit, said coupling end having a tapered bore adapted to cooperate with a tapered block so as tocause the suction-within the pipin c to tighten the coupling. To avoid loss t rough the accidental opening of the said nipple, I provide itwith a'flap 12. carrying a gasket 12 mounted on a ringg having a driving fit over the end of said nipple p,'and bevel the I end of said nipple so as to cause the wedge of the said flap to automatically seal the month thereof. If desired, the endof this" nipple may also'be cham fered off or reduced to a knife edge to insure atight joint.

, From the foregoingdescription it is ap-i .105 I without removing any of the trim or mutiparent that piping may be laid about a room lating same to an ob ectionable extent, and

yet have said pi ing completely inclosed in a manner whic Wlll. not be unsightly or will not materiall obstruct or reduce the floor space.- The s eathing e may be quickly installed or removed and will be sanitary as preventing the'accumulation of dust and dirt in the angle bet-ween the base board and the floor plankingi The sheathin of my conduit system maybe made to con orm to the trim of a room and maybe inexpensively produced and installed; This man-- ner of use is apparent irom theforegoing; v

descriptionand 1t is-equally' apparent that the details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings may bevaried with out departing by Letters Patent, is 1 1. In an arrangement for inclosing confrom the spirit and scope of ing having their adjoining ends mitered and joined permanently, the upper and lower edges of each of said sections being beveled to conform to the sin-base and the flooring at the corner of a room and means valined' with the miter joint whereby the fitting may be set relat-iie'to the floor and said surbase.

2. In an arrangement for inolosing conduit systems for vacuum cleaners a corner fitting consisting of two sections of sheathing having their adjoining ends mitered and joined permanently, the upper and lower edges of each of said sections being beveled to conform to the surhase and the flooring at the corner of a room, said flooring having a dowel hole bored therein projecting downwardly and at an angle toward the base board, and a dowel pin mounted on the lower beveled edge of said fitting and adapt ed to enter said dowel bore, whereby said fitting will be forced toward said surbase.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature, this 26th day of April,

1909, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAR-LES \V. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

P. V. WENING, P. F. SONNEK. 

